dental practice July 2009
www.dental-practice.org
Beating back pain the Alexander way
Anita Bennett looks at the technique and meets some dentists who have benefited from it
I
AM in the dentist’s chair, using my stimulus, such as giving an injection to
Alexander breathing to reduce a frightened patient. It helps us become The teacher and her worst pupil
pain. It’s the end of a long working aware of hunched shoulders, a tight
Margaret Edis, a musician and Alexander teacher at the Royal Academy for
day, and I start to wonder how my neck and breath-holding – or what
20 years, had her first contact with dentistry when a student with prolapsed
dentist’s health is faring. Alexander teachers call the fight-or-
discs in the neck and lumbar came to her for three years. “He was a pupil
His partner at Redland Dental flight “Startle Pattern”. The good news
trying to do a difficult job in a lot of pain,” she says. Then she met her
Practice in Bristol, Lorna Pollack, says, is we can help undo the problem at
future husband David, who by 1985 had had three operations to fuse the
“Dentists spend their lives going to source by learning to pause and give
lumbar spine, and in between had tried to return to work. “He had
osteopaths and chiropractors. Imagine ourselves specific verbal directions. In
absolutely no concept of moving on his hip joints. He was moving from L5,
what it is like for our backs after two this way, FM Alexander, an actor who
flexing at the top of hips and using the thoracic. At least now with the
hours of doing a root canal treatment.” developed these principles in the early
saddle chairs it is better because you know where the sitting bones are.”
After giving a CPD introductory 1900s, was able to fully recover the use
“I was in acute pain for two to three years, on huge doses of painkillers,
workshop on the Alexander Technique of his performing voice. His
off work,” David says. “So I decided to go to Margaret for lessons in
at the practice, I would like to highlight breakthroughs were applauded in the
Hornchurch. I was the worst pupil she ever had. Her musicians can hear if
some of the worrying occupational Nobel Prize acceptance speech of
they are playing better, and others can tell. It’s not so easy for dentists who
hazards that dentistry presents, and physiologist Nicholas Tubingen.
are working on a couple of millimetres, worried about cutting the patient’s
suggest how Alexander may present a
cheek, so there is no focus on one’s own body.”
credible and cost-effective solution. Why dentistry and
David believes that Alexander is similar to a more open psychological
Musculoskeletal disorders top the list Alexander Technique?
talking strategy when working with patients’ fears: “Most people who come
of all claims made by women to the Teacher Margaret Edis gives an
are nervous, either quiet and withdrawn or aggressive, and this fear gets
Dentists Provident Society – 31 per eloquent answer: “Awful posture? How
transferred between human beings. The stress is immediately transferred to
cent of the total – topping cancer, would you like to spend your life
the dentist and assistant.”
infectious diseases, etc. For men it was crouched over a small dark terrified
lower at 19 per cent – still high, if you cavity? My husband used to say,
are like one claimant who through his ‘Remember, a dentist is working with the Redland Dental Practice in Bristol, good job well done means not being a
income protection insurance received tools that can harm. Drill, and at any two dentists are taking lessons with me wreck at the end of it.”
£37,000 over a 25-year period. moment the patient may put his or her and reinforcing the learning between The average cost of one session is
Last August the British Medical Journal tongue in the way. An ordinary surgeon classes. After lessons, both have £40 for 30 to 45 minutes. A course of
published the results of a wide study working on the rest of the body become more aware of how much they one-to-one lessons is required to see
that proved that the Alexander doesn’t have the same throughput.” are holding their breath, for example, any real benefit, and length of course
Technique is more effective at A number of dentists retire as young or tightening their shoulders. varies according to need. A sufficient
alleviating back pain than ordinary GP as 50, worn out from back pain. According to the Bristol Dental number of lessons are required to
care. The benefits were long-term: one Margaret says that research is needed School, education is changing. Dr change life-long habits. Some may liken
year after starting the 24 lessons, into the amount of pain and the Gordon Grey sees several it to the cost of a holiday – with
patients spent three days a month in number of dentists who end up with improvements since he first trained in longer-lasting health benefits.
pain compared to their previous 21. spinal surgery. Preventive Alexander Glasgow. He says: “We teach better For more information and teachers
The study involved the Society of lessons can address poor dentistry seating positions, use saddle chairs, get in your area, contact the Society of
Teachers of the AT, whose teachers habits that start early, undetected. patients to lie flat which is better for Teachers of the Alexander Technique
train full-time for three years, using If you begin a dental examination by the dentist, and encourage students to at www.stat.org.uk. For further
hands-on and verbal guidance. Patients moving your head from the neck, you buy loupes (like magnifying glasses information on CPD for dentists,
were taught, among other principles, to are, according to Margaret, “entering a over glasses), which encourages people contact the author via anita.bennett@
lie down in the Alexander (semi- habit groove, so your perception is to maintain posture. They have to blueyonder.co.uk or see www.
supine) position to allow the spine to skewed, you have unreliable sensory maintain the right distance rather than alexandertechniqueprinciple.com.
lengthen and release tension. A health appreciation and once familiar, the slouching back.”
economics paper published in habit-spotting cells have already been Medical staff can be reluctant to
December concluded that Alexander fooled”. show they are struggling. “They may
lessons were good value for the NHS. think it means they are inadequate. It’s
A chiropractor recommended Begin prevention early quite a macho thing not to admit to
Alexander to me 30 years ago. It For over 40 years, Alexander has been pain,” says Margaret Edis.
teaches people to inhibit, or stop, state-funded and taught routinely in all The dentists featured here feel that
before responding to a stressful the major music and drama schools. At Alexander is an important tool to
prolong and enhance working life.
The ‘engine of change’ “Dentists need to bring their
Understanding of musculoskeletal use was “all very primitive” when Dr
intelligence to how they use
Barry Collins started training as a dentist. “I was always worried my right
themselves,” says Margaret.
hand would shake suddenly out of the blue,” he says. “With Alexander I
“That’s the part that gets neglected
simply got a handle on it. I would go through my Alexander directions for
from the beginning. When you have
30 minutes before going to surgery. This enabled me to carry on working
Alexander lessons, you have a sense of
for 30 years.”
when you are in good balance, whether
He then decided to train as an Alexander teacher, publishing an article
you are using your physical in a free,
on the technique in Dental Practice, and giving workshops to the British
easy, comfortable, breathable way.
Dental Association. “You need one-to-one lessons for that, not just groups.
Alexander prevents what we call
Senior nurse Carl Stevenson guiding Year 3
Alexander is the engine of change.”
‘endgaining’ in dentistry. Getting a student Leah Gosden at the University of Bristol
22
DP July 09 8, 10, 12-20, 22.indd22 22 24/6/09 13:52:16
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40